USA First Lady Dr. Jill Biden and Second Gentleman Doug Emhoff

Dear First Lady Sarah Stitt,
Unfortunately, my son, Rider’s, story is not uncommon, but it is special to me.
Rider had a great sense of humor and loved to make people laugh. He was always there
for anyone who needed someone to talk to or just some positive words of encouragement.
Rider loved all his family, but he often said that his greatest love was for his nephew and
nieces. He absolutely adored them. Rider had his demons, but he could always be
counted on to be fiercely loyal and love unconditionally.
Rider started his path to addiction in Junior High School as his anxiety was getting worse.
He had been talking to a friend about his anxiety. His friend handed him Lortab from his
father’s medicine cabinet. They made him feel better. Soon, Rider was completely
addicted and struggled the rest of his short life.
Rider’s senior year in high school he learned that he wouldn’t be graduating with his
friends because he was short on credits. He took the news very hard. Later that month, he
was given morphine tablets by another friend. He overdosed and was saved by Narcan.
Rider tried six different drug rehab centers. He completed four, left early once, and passed
away at the last. At the fifth rehab facility, tests were run that revealed that his liver didn’t
process medication like everyone else. His medications were changed, and it wasn’t long
before he was addicted to benzodiazepines.
He decided on his own to go back to treatment in Memphis. He took a large amount of
Klonopin for the flight. He passed away in his bed that night at the treatment facility and
was found in his bed the next morning.
We were told by the treatment facility that Rider’s story was being shared with all the other
facilities to prevent this from happening to anyone else. I know he would be happy about
that.
I tell our story in hopes of saving another mom from grieving a lost child. The pain never
gets any easier. Warning parents through awareness is so important. Also, Narcan saves
lives and should be available everywhere. The last thing that’s needed is to advocate to
stop the stigma of addiction and mental illness.
Never judge. Everyone has a story that brought them to this place in their lives. We are
asking for your support and recognition of our loved ones. Please consider memorializing
all of those lost to the drug epidemic in Oklahoma, on a Memorial Wall.
Thank you for taking the time to read Rider’s story.
Sincerely,
Stacy Clemandot – Rider’s mom; forever 21
Princeton, Texas
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